


The Winged Ones

by SandyRook77



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Angels, Clexa, F/F, Fallen Angels, Gifts, Immortals, Irish Language, Magic, Vampirism
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-04
Updated: 2018-08-05
Packaged: 2019-06-21 15:57:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,965
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15561306
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SandyRook77/pseuds/SandyRook77
Summary: Slow burn for ClexaIn a world of the impossible, Lexa and crew stumble upon a centuries old war between Angels and an Immortal. Clarke and her faithful soldiers are cursed to feed on humans to live. In a race to save Clarke’s life and the fate of the world, Lexa must come to terms with knowing that her people are tied irrevocably to Clarke’s and what exactly what it means.





	1. Lexa

I looked through the binoculars taking in the village that lay beneath us. No lights burned through the open shutters of the buildings, no people or animals moved about the streets. There was no sound coming from the empty town. I raised my view to the structure that stood in the middle of the village. Ancient and tall and no signs of an entrance from my current view. There were large openings that started several stories from the ground. If there were no ground level entrances, then those would be our way in. I laid them down and looked over at my companions. 

“Are you sure that this is the place, Lex,” Aden asked nervously. “This place is rumored to be haunted. If it’s haunted, there will be Revenants. That’ll be bad for us, real bad.”

“You worry too much, baby brother,” I replied. “It’s only a rumor. You’ve got nothing to be afraid of.”

“Are you sure this is the right village, Lexa,” Anya said, looking over at her.

“I’m sure. This is Arkadia. I’ve read through every scroll, every parchment, scoured every map that I could possibly find. I’m telling you this is Arkadia and the Gem is here.”

“How do you even know that the Gem is still there? Someone could have lifted it centuries ago.”

“It’s there. I know it. It’s gotta be,” I replied, defiantly.

Lincoln sighed angrily and I looked at him sharply. He gave me a long suffering look and said, “Lexa, I want our people back, too, but this,” gesturing at the village below us, “is a fool’s errand. There is no Gem. This place has been long abandoned. Let’s just go back to the camp and figure something else out.”

“No,” I replied, angrily. “I’m not going back without that Gem. I’m not giving up.”

“This is nuts,” Aden said, suddenly. “I’m not going in there. No way in hell.”

“Fine,” I replied. “You stay with the horses,” and I turned to look at Anya and Lincoln, “Stay or come with, but I’m going.”

With that, I turned around and headed down the hill to where we’d tethered our mounts. I didn’t look back as I heard them follow behind me. I sure as hell wasn’t going to let a rumor about an abandoned village deter me from getting what I wanted. I always got what I wanted and I would get this Gem.

I reached my horse, Bane, and pulled off my saddlebags. I kneeled on the ground and Bane curved his head to nibble at my hair, but I brushed him off. I found my grapple, gloves, and arm braces. I slid my gloves over my hands, the tips of my thumb and forefinger exposed. When I had them snug, I put on my bracers, making sure that they were secure enough that they wouldn’t become loose. I stood up, grabbing the grapple and ran my hands over myself, making sure that my knives were securely in place.

When I looked up at the others, they were all similarly attired. I nodded at them and we set off for the town, silent as only we could be. We entered the town and even though it appeared empty, we stuck to the shadows and made our way slowly to our destination. I had taken point and as I peeked around the corner, I quickly withdrew my head. I held up my hand and motioned them to step back. Anya found a dark alley and we stepped into it. I looked back and gave a small sigh of relief that we hadn’t been spotted.

“What is it,” Aden hissed at me.

“I’m afraid you were right,” I whispered back at him, “Revenants.”

“We need to get out of here. Now,” he said.

I shook my head vehemently, “No. Look, they can be avoided. We stay in the shadows, we stay silent. As long as they can’t see us or hear us, we’re safe.”

“This is insane,” Anya whispered.

“Then stay here,” I replied, my eyes hard. “I’m not leaving here until I get that fucking Gem.”

“Calm down, Lex,” Lincoln said, “We’re not leaving you to do this on your own. Let’s just get this over with. The sooner we’re done, the sooner we can leave this cursed place.”

“Fine,” I said and headed to the entrance.

I peeked out from the alley and quickly signaled them to follow. We slipped out and continued on our way. We successfully avoid the creatures and found ourselves at the foot of the tower. We circled it once and found no entrance. I looked up and found the lowest opening. As one, we pulled our grapples up and aimed. I once again went first and quickly ascended. I cleared the window and pulled the rope in behind me. Soon the others joined and I took a look around the space we’d found ourselves. It appeared to be someone’s living quarters. I walked up to the nearest piece of furniture and ran a finger along the length. When I examined the finger, it came away dusty. I showed them and they nodded. No one had lived here for a long time, but I found it suspicious that the furniture was in pristine condition. 

I opened the door and was surprised that it didn’t creak. I looked back at them and I saw fear flicker over there faces. There was definitely something strange about this place. The floor was made of stone and we were able to make it to the stairs with little noise. Hugging the wall, we descended them. Reading about the Gem, it was said that it would be found in the deepest part of the dungeon area. We had made our way down several levels when I felt something stir in the air. I barely had a chance to turn my head to look when I felt a heaviness descend and I knew no more.


	2. Lexa

I came back to myself and tried to sit up, but I couldn’t move. Panicked, I opened my eyes and was assaulted by light. I blinked rapidly to clear the momentary blindness and things began to come into focus. I noted that my arms were wrenched behind my back and bound. My wrists and ankles were also bound. There were groans behind me and a weight lifted off my chest. Everyone was still alive, but I honestly didn’t know if we’d stay that way. 

A movement caught my eye and I turned my attention to what lay in front of me. My eyes widened in surprise to find five women sitting on thrones on a raised dais. Down the steps of the dais, stood four men. They were all dressed in leather and I could see steel glinting as they shifted. The men wore black, while the women wore dark shades of different colors. The woman in the center drew my eyes like a magnet. Her leathers were dyed a deep blue, nearly black. Her hair was blonde and flowed down her back except for two small braids on the sides of her head. Her blue eyes were narrowed as she took us in. The woman to my right was wearing deep purple with dark hair and green eyes that seemed to darken the longer she looked at us. She was angry. Next to her was a redhead, clothed in a deep forest green, but her eyes were a paler shade. I shifted my eyes to my left and noted the woman’s clothing was a deep dark shade of red, like dried blood. Her skin was tanned with dark brown hair and eyes. Her expression gave nothing away. The woman on the end had a darker shade of blonde than the woman in the center. Her leathers were dyed a dark amber and seemed reflected in her eyes.

I took all of this in quickly and waited silently, my shoulders already protesting the position they were forced in. Finally, the woman in the center spoke.

“You were found trespassing. Why,” the woman demanded, her voice cold and harsh.

I swallowed my fear and spoke with as much calmness as I could, “No reason. We got bored.”

The woman in purple scoffed and sneered, “Bored?! You expect us to believe you were bored?”

I didn’t respond and none of the others did either. The woman in blue seemed to be studying me and I suddenly felt small beneath her gaze. There was something about her, about all of them really, that felt off. I was sure that this had been an abandoned tower in a haunted town. Nothing I had read had even spoke of living people in Arkadia, but then again, I wasn’t so sure that we were still there.

“Well,” the woman questioned, looking at me, but I don’t think she was directing the question to me.

“She’s after the Gem,” the red headed woman said. “The whelp is her brother. The other two are their protectors.”

I could do nothing but stare at this woman horrified by her words. How had she known? No one and I mean absolutely no one, had known what I was doing. We had not spoken about it since that moment on the hill. So, how did she know?

The woman in red leaned over and spoke into the woman in blue. The woman turned sharply to the other and I saw a slight nod.

The woman in blue looked over at a man on her right, “Take them. They’re to join the others.”

The man bowed slightly and at once, all of them descended the steps and came at us. With rough hands we were hauled to our feet, Aden crying out in pain. I spared one last glance at the woman in blue and I could have sworn that there was a flash of regret before her face became unreadable.

We were taken down many flights of stairs and I realized that we were still in the tower. Looking above us, I couldn’t make out the openings which meant we were probably deep underground. When we finally reached the bottom, one of them stepped away and opened a cell door. Fully opened, we were shoved in unceremoniously and the door shut with an ominous clang. When I was sure they were gone, I scrambled onto my feet and turned around to face everyone.

“Is everyone alright,” I asked, looking them over.

“As well as could be,” Lincoln replied as he got up as well.

“Same,” Anya said.

“Aden,” I asked, looking at him worriedly.

“I’m fine,” he grunted as he stood up. “We’re dead, Lex.”

“Not yet, we aren’t,” I said as I closed my eyes to concentrate on my bonds.

Pulling from deep within me, I let my magic unfurl and spread throughout me. I directed it to my ankles and my arms. Soon, I felt the metal heat up and then slide down my back, creating a puddle. I worked my shoulders as I rubbed my wrists and without a word did the same for everyone else. The cell door was next and we were soon in the chamber.

“At least they took us to where we needed to be,” I said, looking around the room. 

There really wasn’t much too it. Just a bare round room dug out from the stone underneath the tower with cell doors interspersing the wall. 

“Aden,” I said, looking at him, “You’re up.”

He nodded and closed his eyes. A soft purple light emanated from him and sank into the ground, flowing outward in search of our prize. Watching intently, the energy seemed to coalesce in the direction of one of the cells. Then it disappeared.

“It’s in there,” Aden said, once his eyes opened. “Two feet from the back wall, fifty feet down.”

“Good and thank you,” I said, pulling him into a side hug. “You did good.”

“Thanks,” he said, grinning up at me.

“I guess it’s my turn,” Lincoln said. 

He strode into the cell and a few minutes later I could hear the earth shifting about. When it had settled, he came back out with a leather bag and handed it to me. I opened the bag with shaky hands and upended it, watching as a Gem slid onto the palm of my hand. It was warm as it lay there in my palm. It seemed to pulse as if it had a heartbeat and with each pulse it changed color. I stood there mesmerized by it until Anya got my attention.

“Is that it,” she asked, breaking through to me.

“Yes,” I said with near reverence. “The Heart of Kallah. We finally found it.”

“Good. Then let’s get the fuck outta here,” she said as she gathered us together. 

In the space between a heartbeat, we found ourselves a few feet from the horses. I quickly tucked the Gem back into it’s bag and placed it within my jacket. Without a single word, we mounted our horses and took off with the speed that only Hellions possessed.


	3. Clarke

We ran up the tower as soon as we felt the Gem leave the grounds. Below us, we could make out four riders moving at speeds normal horses could never achieve. Octavia cursed as she slammed her fist into the parapet, crumbling at the impact.

“We should have just killed them,” she growled out.

“Easy, Octavia,” Bellamy replied. “You’re only going to waste energy.”

I watched impassively as the riders disappeared from view and sighed heavily.

“I hope you’re right about this, Raven,” I said turning to her. “If you’re not, you’ve just condemned us to death.”

“I’m right,” she said, coming closer to me. “These four are different. They’re not completely human. If anyone can end this, I believe that it will be them.”

“Madi,” I said, looking at my daughter. “Are the wards down?”

She nodded, “They are, Mother. The Revenants will be able to leave now. So can we.”

“Good,” I said smiling down at her. “Bellamy, Nate, follow them and make sure that you take the comms with you. I don’t want a repeat.”

“Will you let it go,” Nate said, “That was nearly a millennia ago.”

I turned on him and said, “We nearly lost the Battle of Rignar because of you two. I will not lose this chance to finally be free.”

He dropped his eyes and bowed his head, “Of course, Commander. My apologies.”

“Now get those comms and get after them before they get too far ahead,” I said with as much command as I could.

They saluted, fist over their hearts, and their wings unfurled and they were off. I turned to the others and looked at them. I could feel their energy of anticipation and it felt wonderful to have that again.

“We need to feed,” I said. “We’ll join them at first light.”

“Yes, Commander,” they all replied and left, except for Madi, Raven, and Monroe.

“Mother, you’re still bound to this place,” Madi said. “If you leave, the weaker you will become. Your curse remains intact, you cannot lay a hand on human flesh and feed.”

“I know, Madi,” I said softly and crouched before her, “but now that the wards are gone, I’m already dying.”

“Madi, how long can she survive before she needs to feed,” Monroe asked, looking down at her.

“No more than four days,” she replied. “Past that, Mother will be unable to travel.”

“Is there a way we can sustain her beyond that time,” Raven asked.

“There is a way, but it is much too dangerous,” she said, looking up at her. “One of you could feed her, but it may end up killing you in the process. And in order to feed her, you’ll need to feed twice as much.”

“Raven, I’m not going to risk your lives for mine,” I said, standing up. “Just get the Gem before they get rid of it. Take it to the Citadel and you can all go home finally.”

“Clarke, I’m not going to leave you here to die alone,” she said, passionately. “You deserve to go home, too.”

I shook my head, “No, I don’t. Not after everything I’ve done. You’ve done your duty and I’m releasing you. All of you. All I ask is that you make sure that Madi takes her rightful place.”

“Clarke, you can’t be serious,” Monroe said, pleading with me. “We still need you to lead us.”

“It’s done,” I said sighing. “I’ll feed while I can, but once the Revenants are gone, so am I.”

I turned and walked away, feeling heavy with guilt and relief. Centuries ago there had been a war between the Sciatháin Arna (Winged Ones) and a Marbh (Immortal) who called himself, Triore. After countless battles and deaths, my people barely won, but it came with a great price. I was forced to leave my people in the hands of my brother, Finn, and with my Legion of Fallen, locked the Citadel and keeping it safe until none of us were left.

The only way to unlock the entrance was the Heart of Kallah and we brought it here and buried it deeper than humans could once dig with their crude tools. We built this tower to guard it, placed wards over the village that had seem to grow overnight. We made it as safe as we could, but Triore had found us. We fought bravely, but when the dust settled down, only ten of us remained. We had beaten him, but he cursed us. We could never again leave the wards that remained standing and cursed us to feed on humans to survive. Then he cursed me. He bound me to the village for as long as I lived and for as long as I lived, I could never feed on a human.

The humans were trapped as well. They became my people’s food source and when they were gone, they were left starving and dying alongside of me. Then one day a strange man appeared. When we approached him, mad with hunger, he struck a deal. He claimed he was a Necromancer, someone that could raise the dead. He claimed that if we let him live, he’d provide us with a way to stay alive. That was when the first Revenants came into being. We found out that we could survive off of them. That I could survive off of them. Before he left, he gave us the knowledge to create new ones even though they would come back after a time. So, that was how we survived, we fed off of Revenants and guarded the Gem.

That was centuries ago and I don’t know how many lives we’ve taken throughout that time, lured to their death by the Gem. Now, it was gone, the wards with it, and my people would live on. I would live as long as I could for them, but I knew that my life was always finite. I headed outside and fed alongside the others. When we were done, no Revenants remained.

I had laid Madi down for the night to make sure that she would be well rested in the morning. I knew that this was going to be hard journey for her, but I knew the others would protect her with their lives. I stayed a long time in her room, holding her hand and watching her sleep. I hadn’t known that when I left that I was pregnant with her, but by then it was already too late to giver her to my brother to be raised. The Citadel was locked away for what we thought would be eternity, so this was the only life she had ever known. I wished with all of my being that she would fare well on the journey and take her place on the throne. That she would find happiness and love. As long as I held onto that wish, I knew that my death would be for nothing.

Now, I stood in my room at a loss as to what I should do. I knew that I should sleep, so that I could see them off in the morning, but it would not be an easy one. There was a knock on the door and when I opened it, Raven stood before me. I opened it further and she walked in.

Closing the door, I turned to her and said, “I’m not leaving, Raven. You heard Madi, I’m still bound to this place.”

She turned and walked closer to me and said, “I heard Madi, but I heard her tell us of a way to allow you a chance to stay alive.”

I shook my head, “It’s too dangerous. There are only ten of us left. I will not lose any more of you. I cannot. Do not ask me of this. Please.”

“Clarke, my love,” she said as she crossed the distance between us and cupped my chin gently. “We cannot do this without you. Not only because you are our Queen and Commander, you are Madi’s mother. She still needs you. We still need you. I still need you.”

I closed my eyes, willing the tears not to fall, “Please don’t, Rae. Please don’t make this harder than it already is.”

She didn’t say anything as she leaned in and kissed me. It was so gentle and sweet, that my tears fell. Wrapping my arms around her tightly, I deepened the kiss. Never breaking the kiss, she led me to my bed and laid me gently down. My breath came quick and my pulse raced as she stood between my legs. Her eyes never leaving, she slowly undressed until she stood naked in front of me. I pulled her down to me and I wept as we made love for the last time.


	4. Lexa

I looked behind us and up into the sky and cursed loudly. We were still being followed. I urged Bane faster, racing for the forest and freedom. What were these creatures? I had never heard of such creatures before. Impossibly the men who had captured us were now flying, following us. I didn’t understand why they weren’t attacking. It looked like they could easily take us down. I shook my head, to clear those thoughts and focused all of my senses on escaping them. 

Finally, we burst through the brush and found ourselves in the forest. I pulled on the reins and slid off. I walked cautiously to the edge of the forest and peered up at the sky. The men made no attempt to land, rather they circled for a moment and then took off back the way they had come. I let out a deep breath and the tension fled my body.

“Are they gone,” Aden asked as he walked up to me.

“Yes, they flew off,” I replied and laid a hand on his shoulder. 

We turned and walked back to our horses. Lincoln and Anya dismounted and we spent a brief time wiping them down and allowing them a chance to rest.

“We need to keep moving,” Lincoln said. “More than likely they’ve headed back to let the others know where we entered the forest.”

“I agree,” Anya said.

“I do, too,” I replied, “We’ll let the horses cool down and then we’ll move on before we make a cold camp.”

“What are they,” Aden asked, fearfully. 

I shook my head and replied, “I don’t know. Nothing I’ve come across describes such creatures.”

“Whatever they are, we need to get away from them. Far away,” Anya said, shivering.

“Agreed. We just need to get this Gem to Triore, so that he’ll let our people go.”

“Let’s hope that he keeps his word,” Lincoln said. “He’s an Immortal, we can’t trust him.”

“We’ll deal with it when we get there,” I said, irritably. “Our priority is to put as much distance between us and them. I think they’ve cooled down enough that we can lay the saddles on them loosely and walk them further in.”

“Then let’s get going,” Anya said. 

We saddled them and then headed deeper into the forest. We walked on until the sky began to lighten. We found a knoll where a huge tree had fallen, leaving a huge gap in the knoll. We crowded in and ate. We set up watch, with Lincoln taking first watch. I bedded down and was soon asleep. 

I was nudged awake by Aden, who laid a finger on his lips and pointed above us. I nodded to let him know that I understood and quietly got up. I strained my ears to listen and I caught the faintest of voices. They were far away and I couldn’t make out what they were saying. Someone had gotten the horses to lay down and were relatively camouflaged. I edged closer to the edge of the opening and peered around. We waited until the voices moved away and then we were quickly breaking camp. 

“Do you think that was them,” Aden asked quietly.

“I don’t know and I don’t want to find out,” I hissed at him. “Get Zeke saddled and let’s get the hell outta here.”

He nodded and we were soon on our way. We rode throughout the day and only stopped when we came across a village. We begged a place to sleep and we were soon able to rest. Sometime during the night we were awoken by bloodcurdling screams. We kept the horses calm and quiet as we listened and waited fearfully. When daylight emerged long after the screams and wails had silenced, did we leave the safety of the barn. 

My stomach rebelled at the sight that lay just outside the entrance. Human remains littered the ground and there were very few people wandering around in a daze. Lincoln approached one of them to find out what happened. When he came back, he told us that winged monsters had lain waste to the village, even going so far as to drag people out of their homes. We did the only thing we could do, we helped lay the bodies on a pyre and watched as it was lit at sunset. We stayed another night and we left in the morning with full saddle bags of food. 

When we camped for the night, we huddled close together and slept lightly. It was on the third night, that we came upon them. Anya heard them first and we stopped. Lincoln and I crept towards them and got close enough to hear their conversation.

“I’m telling you, we’ve lost their trail,” one of the men said. “We tracked them to the village, but we didn’t find them.”

“Bell, we’ll find them. We need the Gem to get home,” a woman said and I marked how tired the voice sounded. “You should have left me in Arkadia.”

“No way are we having this conversation again,” a woman’s voice replied. “We’ll find the Gem and get you home. I’m sure someone there will be able to break our curse.”

“No, the only one who can break it, is the one who placed it in the first place,” a young girls voice said. “We need to find him and kill him. That’s the only way.”

“Madi, we don’t even know where his stronghold is and there’s only the ten of us, eight if you discount us,” the tired woman said.

“Mother, I can fight. Nate’s been training me.”

“You are too young. I will not lose you like I lost your father.”

“You need to calm down, Clarke. You’re wasting energy,” another woman said.

“You’re right. I’m going to need to feed soon. Tonight.”

“Don’t worry, my love. We’ve got you,” one of the women said.

Completely invested in the conversation, I snuck closer until I saw them. When I could see them, the woman in blue was laying against the trunk of a tree, a young girl nestled against her shoulder. That had to be Madi and woman must be her mother, making her Clarke. The woman in red was crouched next to them and stroking Clarke’s head. The look of love on Clarke’s face was one that I wished someone would look at me that way. The others were spread out, some dozing, some lounging and two of them were pacing. 

Clarke looked up at the pacing men and said, “Stop. You’re doing nothing but irritating me. Go back to the village and see if you cannot pick up their trail. They couldn’t have gone far if they stayed there last night. Just try and refrain from feeding on the rest of the humans. We need them to survive, but we cannot be complete monsters and you will no longer go after children or mothers.”

“We apologize, Commander,” The tall, white man said. “But it’s been so long since we’ve been able to feed as such. We won’t make the same mistake again.”

“Accepted, Bell. Just go, so that we may move on.”

The men launched themselves into the sky and Lincoln and I scrambled back to Anya and Aden.

“We’ve got to get out of here,” I said. “They’re heading back to the village to pick up our trail.”

“I’ll make sure that the earth will swallow our trail,” Lincoln said. 

“Thank you. Let’s go.”

We raced on and I couldn’t help but occasionally look back checking to see that we were not followed. We rode until well into the night. Only when the moon was sinking in the sky did we stop. We allowed our horses to recover completely and then rode on. We did this for as long as we could, until Bane suddenly lost a shoe.

“Fuck,” I cried out as I inspected his hoof. “It fucking split in half. Anya hand me the saw and nippers. Once I get it off, we’ll have to head to the nearest town that has a farrier or blacksmith.”

“The next one should,” she replied as she handed me the tools.

I got the shoe off and walked him the rest of the way. It took us several hours and I worried the entire way. As we waited, I went in search of the head of the village and relayed to him what had happened at the other village. He promised that he would make sure that his people would get to safety before the sun set. As soon as the shoe was on Bane, we were back on the road.


	5. Clarke

I lay against the tree, laboring to breathe, and so very tired. I couldn’t believe that I had allowed Raven to talk me into coming and now Madi was forced to watch me dying. It would be so much easier if I could take my knife and plunge it into my heart and die like a human, but I wasn’t human. And I couldn’t die easily or at least not when I was healthy. I tried to take my mind off of my impending death, so I shifted my gaze and stared up at the night sky through the branches. It had been so long since I sat underneath a tree or felt the grass beneath my palms. I continued to stare as I waited for the others to return.

I heard the flutter of wings and looked to see Raven land gracefully. I smiled at her as she came to me. I reached for her and she clasped my hand and helped me to my feet. We walked a ways until we found a growth of moss. As much as I loved her, I was scared of this moment. I didn’t want to lose her, but this could very well end in a very bad way.

“Are you sure,” I asked quietly as I wrapped her in an embrace and stared deeply into her eyes.

“I’m sure,” she replied. “You need to feed, my love. I will not lose you to this. I love you too damn much.”

“I don’t want to lose you, Rae,” I whispered and I could feel the tears forming behind my eyelids.

“You won’t. I promise you. You’ll never lose me,” she said and then drew me in a kiss.

We kissed for a very long time until I felt too weak to stand anymore. She gently laid me down. We undressed one another and kissed our exposed flesh. Our lovemaking became more frenzied as our desire built. I gazed up at her and she gave a slight nod and exposed her neck to me more. I kissed the vein just underneath the surface that pulsed with her heartbeat. I could smell the blood just underneath the surface, making me hunger. I gently bit down and I could feel my teeth sink into her yielding flesh. She moaned as her blood ran into my mouth and down my throat. As I fed on her, our desire continued to build until we came together in a single glorious moment. I forced myself to pull back and lick her neck until her wounds closed, still riding out the waves of pleasure. 

I felt stronger and better than I had in weeks. I hadn’t realized just how hungry I had always been. Raven collapsed against me and I cradled her in my arms. I kissed her gently and laid my hand on her chest, feeling her heart beat and her lungs inhale and exhale.

“You’re alive,” I whispered as I stroked her face.

Her eyes fluttered open and she gazed at me adoringly and whispered, “Told you.”

I chuckled softly and watched her as she fell into a deep sleep. I continued to watch her as I stroked her face and down her arm until I could no longer stay awake.

The filtered sun woke me and I pulled Raven closer to me as I became more fully aware. I sighed and shifted until I rested on my elbow. Looking down at her sleeping form, love and desire for her built deep in my chest. There was nothing I wouldn’t do for her and I wished that I did not have to ask her of this, even though she gave willingly. I wished that none of them had to put their life in my hands just so that I could live. It was unfair and cruel, but they refused to give up and let me die.

Oh, these maudlin thoughts would surely be the end of me if I couldn’t escape them. So, I turned my mind back to the woman laying next to me. I leaned down and kissed her, her mouth responding even in slumber as I ran my fingers down her side until they settled on her hip and pulled her underneath me. I felt her breath quickening as my mouth traveled downward until I took a breast in and suckled on it. She moaned and her hands threaded in my hair. I continued my worship until she was nothing but trembling muscles and quivering body. When she had recovered, she took her time worshipping me and in the end, we lay side by side as we rested.

She recovered first and lay on her side as she gazed lovingly into my eyes, “How are you feeling?”

“Better. Stronger,” I replied as I shifted to lay on my side, facing her. “Thank you for last night.”

“It’s what partners do, my love,” she responded with a smile. “We help each other through both the good times and the bad.”

“Be that as it may,” I said, sighing, “I wish that we didn’t have to. It pains me greatly because I know that we cannot keep doing this forever. One day, you all will have to let me go and you need to prepare yourselves for that.”

“Not as long as our hearts beat will we ever let you go,” she said fiercely.

I laid back and stared up at the tree canopy and said, “Raven, we don’t know where Triore is nor do we know if we can defeat him this time. There are too little of us left and I cannot have you risk your lives on such foolishness.”

“You have to trust me, Clarke. These four are vastly different from the others and we must continue to follow them. They are the key.”

“I do trust you, Rae, but this is like throwing a rock at a mountain, hoping to cause an avalanche. My life is in their hands and they do not even know it.”

“Please do not give up on me, on us. Once Triore is defeated we can return home and we can return to our rightful places.”

I shook my head as I felt tears slip down my face, “I’m trying, Rae, but this is so hard and heartbreaking.”

“Hush, my love. We will get through this as we have gotten through everything else. I promise you, we will see home again and you will live.”

I nodded and wished with my entire being that her words stayed true, but I knew that not all of us would survive.

Taking a deep shuddering breath, I sat up and said, “We need to rejoin the others and get going. The longer we stay, the colder their trail will get.”

“Then let’s fly,” she said and helped me to my feet.

We dressed and after a quick consultation with the rest, we were on our way.


	6. Lexa

After a week of hard riding, we finally neared our destination. The camp that we called home. There were only a handful of us, fifty, but soon my people would be free and we could return to our true home. We handed our reins over to the hostler and went our separate ways. Aden and I quickly strode to the tent of our mother. Ducking inside, we found her at her loom, working on tapestry.

“Mother,” I said and went to kneel beside her.

Aden went to her other side and we embraced her fiercely. When we pulled back, she searched our eyes and knew.

“You found it,” she said in wonderment.

“Aye, we did,” I replied, patting my jacket. “But we are no longer safe here. We need to pack up the camp and head to the stronghold.”

Her eyes widened and she asked, “Why? What has happened?”

“There were creatures guarding the Gem, mother,” I said. “They looked like us, but they can fly and it appears that they feed on people. They are after us. We must leave, quickly.”

“They followed you,” she said, her voice tinged with fear. “Here?”

“I do not know, Mother,” I said, regretfully. “They followed us to the first village, but then Lincoln started to hide our trail. We do not know if it worked. We need to gather the people and get out of here.”

“You said that they were winged people that fed on human flesh,” she asked, her face suddenly confident and sure.

“Yes,” I replied, perplexed.

She nodded and stood up, “Follow me. There is someone you need to speak to.”

Aden and I got up and followed her to the outskirts of our camp. She led us to the tent of our Shaman. She knocked on a tent pole and waited patiently. Aden and I shared a glance, but we could do nothing but wait. Finally, the tent flap moved to the side and we quickly entered.

“Lexa, Aden, you have returned,” a voice said from the shadows.

“Aye,” I replied. “We got what we were searching for.”

I looked to where the voice came from and Indra stepped out from the shadows. She looked between the three of us and seemed to deflate.

“I wish that you hadn’t, child,” she said as she sat in front of the alter and motioned for us to join her.

We sat and I asked, confused, “Why is that? This is what he wanted in exchange for our people.”

“That Gem is the key to unlocking something that he has wanted for a very long time,” she replied.

“Indra, they’ve been followed,” Mother said, “by winged creatures that feed on human flesh.”

“The Fallen,” Indra replied, nodding. “I expected as much.”

“The Fallen,” Aden asked, confused.

“Yes, child,” she said gently. “The Legion of Fallen. They are the guardians of the Gem. Taking it has freed them.”

“I don’t understand,” I said. “What are they?”

She settled herself more comfortably and said, “Nearly two millennia ago, there was a terrible war, leaving thousands dead. This war was between Triore and the Winged Ones. The Winged Ones were victorious and Triore fled to regain his strength. They knew that Triore would try again and again until he could defeat them and take over a place simply known as the Citadel. It has been passed down that the Citadel is the center where all magic flows from. The Winged Ones are it’s protectors. So, they did the only thing that they could. They created the Heart of Kallah and locked the Citadel for all eternity. But there was a heavy price to pay. Their Queen had to bind herself to the Gem. As long as she lived, the Gem would keep the Citadel safe.”

“So, you’re saying that Triore wants all the magic for himself,” I asked.

“Yes, but that is not the end of the tale,” she replied. “The Gem could not stay, so therefore the Queen could not. She is a fierce warrior and she commanded an army of her own, the Legion of Fallen. They followed her and they eventually found a place to settle. That settlement became Arkadia. They set up wards and protections to keep the townspeople and the Gem safe, but Triore found them. They battled again and defeated him once more, but Triore cursed them. They could no longer pass through the wards and in order for them to live, they could only partake of human flesh. Triore cursed the Queen, binding her to the village and banned her from touching human flesh.”

“They ate the villagers, didn’t they,” Aden asked, horrified.

“Unfortunately, they did. When they were near to dying, a Necromancer struck a deal with them in order to live. He created Revenants for them, a way to survive. That was five hundred or so years ago.”

“So, taking the Gem freed them to feed on people again,” I said.

“Yes and as much as that horrifies you, they are as much the victims as those they must feed on. If Triore gets that Gem, he will become a god and will surely rain Chaos onto our world.”

“What have I done,” I asked, horrified.

“That’s not the question you should be asking, Lexa,” she said. “The question is why they let you escape.”

“Let us escape? I don’t understand. We escaped on our own.”

She didn’t answer and instead looked at my mother, “Becca, could you please bring Lincoln and Anya here. It is time they learned the truth.”

Mother bowed her head and left.

“The truth? The truth about what,” I demanded.

“Be patient, my child. All will be revealed.”

I growled under my breath as we waited, bouncing my knee in agitation. Indra had gotten up and went behind the alter. When she returned, she had a long wooden box in her hand. It looked ancient. When they finally arrived, I felt nearly close to exploding. I wanted answers and I wanted them now. Yesterday, even.

“What’s going on,” Anya asked me.

“I think we kicked a hornet’s nest,” I replied.

“That is putting it mildly, child,” Indra said, giving us a rare smile. “Now that everyone is settled and comfortable, I can tell you this. The four of you are not like the rest of us. You belong to an ancient order called the Den na nGadaill, or Den of Thieves in our tongue. This order serves the Queen exclusively. They are her spies, thieves, assassins, rangers and a slew of other things. What makes you special beyond those skills is that you share a bloodline with the Winged Ones, specifically those within the ranks of the Fallen.”

“Wait,” Anya interrupted, “Queen, Winged Ones, Fallen? Who or what are those.”

“Lexa will explain it to you once our conversation is over,” Indra replied, testily. 

Anya was about to protest, but Indra shut her down with a look. I thought bemusedly to myself that I needed to learn that look. Anya was spirited and very vocal about many things.

“What exactly does sharing a bloodline mean,” I asked.

“It means that you are half human and half Sciatháin Arna or Winged One. What this means is that you possess greater strength, magic, and are harder to kill. You will also live longer than the rest of us,” she replied.

“So, we are duty bound to the Queen?”

“Yes. I cannot tell you exactly what it all means because many of the texts were lost centuries ago.”

“Why are you sharing all of this with us now?”

“Since they are now free, it is your duty to help them,” she said calmly and opened the box.

Inside lay ten amulets nestled within velvet. They were in the shape of a strange triangle where there would be points, they instead curved up to the next as if it was constantly moving. In the center, lay a colored stone. Immediately, my eyes were drawn to the one with a deep blue. I looked up at Indra and she nodded slightly, smiling. I reached out and gently removed it. As soon as I clutched it in my hand, I felt an overwhelming surge of adrenaline course through my body. When it was gone, I sat there gasping for air and opened my hand. The stone was pulsing to the beat of my own heart. I looked up at her amazed because I had felt such power. The others seemed to have felt the same way as Indra closed the box smartly and stood up to put it away. Apparently, Indra was not done yet, for when the box was away, she pulled out a much larger and heavier box. Lincoln got up and assisted her and laid in front of the alter.

“Open the box please, Lexa,” she said.

I did and inside lay beautiful swords of all types. I noticed that there were two matching slightly curved blades strapped to the lid. These called to me just as the stone had. I got up on my knees and unstrapped one of them. Stepping away from everyone, I grasped the hilt and felt a jolt of energy flow through me. Unperturbed, I pulled the sword out of it’s sheath. The blade was glowing with a white blue energy. It felt immediately like an extension of my arm as if it had been made specifically for me. I swung it around experimentally and found it absolutely perfect. I sheathed the blade and as soon as I released the hilt, the flow of energy stopped. 

“What does this mean,” I asked as I sat back down and placed the sword across my lap.

“The amulet you now possess has awoken the power that had remained latent within each of you,” Indra replied. “The swords you have chosen will only work for you. If anyone else held the sword, it would be nothing more than an ordinary blade. The only information that I can give you about the swords is that they are the only things that can kill an Immortal or those nearly so.”

“So, now what,” I asked as Indra removed the matching sword and handed it to me.

“Now, we wait for them to find us,” she replied.


End file.
